Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-10

own statement OF its uneorroborated
character, haze not been placed before
you in condition to be entitled to
consideration, should forthwith be
discontinued. Also, t.the so-ealled
grant lacks the essential foundation Of
recognizable claim under the laws OF
Spain and the treaties and laws OF
the United States. General Sparks
SIrther added that the government
had made careful research" among
the archives Ct Mexico and Madrid,
but no records relating to any such
claim as the Peralta grant were dls-
covered. This official order fairly
Knocked the bottom out OF the So
called grant, and people here were be-
ginning to forget all about it and its
cheeky claimant until his recent re-
appearance in the columns OF the Cal
ifornia newspapers.
In the interview published in the
HERALD Reavis states that he was
married to the Baroness in lss2
notwithstanding this statement many
of your readers will remember his
futile attempt to enter into matrlmo-
NAL relations with an estimable lady
of your county in 1885. He even went
so far as to procure marriage
liscence, assuming that she would not
think of refusing so distinguished an
| individual as the Baron of the Colo
RADIOS" But the lady evidently did
not appreciate the intended honor,
and in published card in one OF your
city papers positively declined,
and even alluded to ]. Addison
as crank whose head was turned by
Ills mythical Arizona land claim
This fact is mentioned to show that
Reavis had no hesitancy to fill the rotl
of the bigamist, for if, as he states, he
married the Baroness" in 1882, he
could not wed Miss Bridger in 1885,
without being guilty of that otfense.
But this to a man who has sworn to
certain things which were not true,
would be merely trivial considera-
ton. Reavis now asserts that he Is
acting as agent for the Baroness
and has no interest whatever in the
so-called :. grant himself. This is an
entire change OF front from his former
statement that the title was in himself
and he received it from the widow oi
George NJ. Willing.
This would-be sharper was forced
into his present position by the trans
parent weakness OF the so-called title
from Mrs. Willing. After securing
such title he made the discovery that
under the Missouri law as it then ex
isted, she only had life interest il
the estate of her deceased husband
and that at her death her claim to the
"grant" would die with her. Upor
learning this, Reayis set about at once
to remedy this fatal defect. He
hunted up an old power OF attorney
given by Doc" Willing to one F. A.
Massol, dated May 11th, 1864, and in
which said Massol is authorized by
Willing to sell, lease or other
wise dispose of certain mining
claims owned by the latter. Hav'
ing secured this document by
deed from Massol, Reavis had secretly
interlineation, the so-called Peralta
grant," thus making it appear that
Willing had given control of that
mythical property to Massol. But
| fraud again overreaehed itself. and the
bogus ::Baron," instead OF mendins
his title, made it appear. still worse
| for it is on record that the deed from
Peralta to Willing is dated October
Goth, 1864, while the power OF attor-
ney from Willing to Massol bears date
of MAY 11th, 1864, or more than five
months before Willing had any claim
whatever to the so-called grant"
The title defect in his alleged title
from Willing, Reavis now tries to gel
over by the introduction OF the 6 Bar
oness," asserting that he never had
any rights in the premises, and that
the lady is the only lawful and legal
heir of the defunct Peraltas. 1t is un-
derstood that this discrepancy between
his present and former assertions ap-
pears most glaringly in his brief and
argument" filed in the Surveyor Gen.
erals office at Tucson in 1885, and
which he is now trying to replace by
other statements more in harmony
with his present role as agent of the
Baroness.
The people of the Salt river valley
have no toubt as to the utter falsity of
this grant" and in their present
temper it may be as well for the Bar
on" to remain away from Phoenix.
They are busily occupied in developing
the grand resources of this region, and
do not propose to be further impeded
in the good work by the pretensions OF
this characterless adventurer. The al
legged claim is said to be 80 miles
wide by loo long, embracing the larg-
est bodies of agricultural lands, some
of the richest mines, and most extern
sive grazing grounds in the Territory.
The Salt river valley is the garden
spot of this extensive tract, containing
450, 900 acres of as fine land as can be
found in the United States; almost as
level as a table, and supplied by an
abundance of water flom the Salt and
Verde rivers, it is destined at no dis
tant day to be the home of a large pop
ulation. Everything grown in any
portion of California can be raised
here; but for fruits it is especially
ad lpted. The orange does as well as
at Riverside, the grape is as prolific as
in Sonoma, the banana is as much
at home as in Central America, while
the olive thrives as well as on the
hills and valleys OF Palestine. Seven
main canals have been constructed at
a cost OF $l00, 900, and about $4,000
acres have been reclaimed and made
productive.
A branch road has just been COM
pleted from the Southern Pacific, and
capital and immigration are rapidly
finding their way here. Land and
water can be had at very reasonable
figures. and many OF your leading Los
Angeles county capitalists-notably
McPhersoa, the raisin-maker OF
Orange, and DeBarth Shorb. of San
Gabriel-are making heavy invest
ments. There is a grand future in
store for this lovely valley, but the
" Baron and Baroness of the Colora-
dos" are not likely to enjoy any of it.
Old Californians who remember the
Iimantour fraud can understand how